The Illusionist
Melbourne International Film Festival, 31/07/2010
Status: Behind by 17 films
French director Sylvain Chomet’s wonderful, crazy, high energy 2003 The Triplets of Belleville was fuelled by a spectacular 20’s French gypsy-swing soundtrack. His next film, The Illusionist is a much tamer affair with large sections without any soundtrack at all.
Based on a 50 year-old script by Jacque Tati, the master of French lo-fi physical comedy, Chomet has remained faithful to Tati’s style (both for comedy and for filmmaking), but certainly brings something of his own. The wonderfully rich hand-drawn animation style is distinctive and so lushly textured. It’s simply gorgeous and a lovely change from the regular shiny, shiny Disney, Pixar, anime style.
The Illusionist takes place at the end of the vaudeville tradition, as an aging French stage magician takes the jobs he can in the fading Music Halls of Europe with an act that includes a very cranky rabbit in his hat. He is followed to Edinburgh by a country girl who believes he can materialize the things she desires. The characters are slight and so is the plot - as with most Tati films, it serves only to string together comedy set ups and opportunities. The comedy is clever, but gentle - warm smiles and chuckles rather than belly laughs. Although lacking energy and depth, The Illusionist has plenty of gentle charm.
